IT campaign: Haryana signs agreement with Maharashtra firm

VARINDER BHATIA Posted online: Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 at 0000 hrs

Chandigarh : The Haryana government has signed a promoters’ agreement with Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL), a public-limited company, to create a mass information technology (IT) literacy facility across the state. In April, Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia had accorded his approval to the state government for establishing a public limited company - Haryana Knowledge Corporation Limited (HKCL) - in collaboration with MKCL. HKCL has already got a nod from the Haryana Cabinet.

HKCL is envisaged to be incorporated as a public-limited company with an authorised share capital of Rs 5 crore and paid a capital of Rs 2 crore by way of equity subscription. In the company, HKCL and MKCL shall have an equity share of 30 per cent each, while 15 per cent share each shall be of HARTRON and Technical Education Society, and 10 per cent of Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC).

“Various computer literacy course contents shall be designed and the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLE) shall be selected by the company. These VLEs shall be imparted initial course training and they shall be subsequently training people in the area where they shall set up their infrastructure. Since we have already signed the promoters agreement with MKCL, the company shall be setting up its office in a month. The actual IT training programme benefiting people at a large scale across the state is expected to be launched by January,” said Y S Malik, Principal Secretary (Electronics and Information Technology department), Haryana.

Elaborating the roles of VLEs, Malik added that setting up of entire infrastructure, including computers shall be the responsibility of the VLEs. “The basic aim of the project shall be to impart IT literacy to people at large. Be it basic computing, working on Microsoft word, using spreadsheets and data computing, people shall be taught computer skills,” Malik added.

“The MKCL runs a basket of courses towards mass IT literacy. The success of project launched by MKCL from 2001-12 can be gauged by the fact that IT literacy certificates have already been issued to more than eight million people in Maharashtra. The company has set up around 5,000 learning centres across the state. A similar model is what we are trying to replicate in Haryana. MKCL has already set up the same project in Rajasthan and is going to implement it in Orissa,” Malik said.

The training courses, including Haryana State - Certificate in Information Technology (HS-CIT), will be recognised by the Haryana State Board of Technical Education, as the other course certificates are based on online continuous learning assessment. HS-CIT may be notified as a recognised qualification regarding computer efficiency for all government appointments and recruitments in groups A, B, and C services.

Haryana govt employees to undergo IT courses after the implementation of the IT literacy project, the existing employees of the Haryana government shall be asked to undergo the IT-certification courses. Though, initially the courses and subsequent tests shall not be mandatory, employees agreeing to undergo these tests shall be given some incentives. “Our basic aim is to train as many people possible in the field of IT. We may offer the employees, who undergo the IT-certification courses and pass the required tests, some incentives including financial benefits,” Y S Malik said.